# MidCoast Council

MidCoast Council is a local government area located in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The council was formed on 12 May 2016 through a merger of the Gloucester Shire, Great Lakes and City of Greater Taree Councils.
The MidCoast local government area comprises an area of 10,053 square kilometres (3,881 sq mi) and occupies the southern portion of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales stretching 190 km (118 mi) between the coastal towns of Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens and northwards to Crowdy Bay National Park. The council region includes the three great lakes, the coastal towns of Seal Rocks, Forster, Taree, and onto Crowdy Head north of Harrington. The LGA extends inland to the Barrington Tops National Park west of Gloucester, plus Stroud, Bulahdelah and Wingham. It includes the Manning River and valley adjoining the Three Brothers mountains. At the time of its establishment the council had an estimated population of 90,504.
The Mayor of the MidCoast Council is Councillor Claire Pontin, who was elected on 12 January 2022.

## Towns and localities

The following towns and localities are located within the Mid–Coast Council area:
* Allworth
* Back Creek
* Bakers Creek
* Barrington
* Barrington Tops
* Baxters Ridge
* Belbora
* Berrico
* Bindera
* Black Head
* Blueys Beach
* Bobin
* Bohnock
* Bombah Point
* Boolambayte
* Boomerang Beach
* Booral
* Bootawa
* Booti Booti
* Bowman
* Bowman Farm
* Bretti
* Brimbin
* Bucca Wauka
* Bulahdelah
* Bulga Forest
* Bulliac
* Bundabah
* Bundook
* Bungwahl
* Bunyah
* Burrell Creek
* Cabbage Tree Island
* Caffreys Flat
* Callaghans Creek
* Caparra
* Carrington
* Cedar Party
* Cells River
* Charlotte Bay
* Cobark
* Comboyne
* Coneac
* Coolongolook
* Coomba Bay
* Coomba Park
* Coopernook
* Cooplacurripa
* Copeland
* Coralville
* Craven
* Craven Plateau
* Crawford River
* Croki
* Crowdy Bay
* Crowdy Head
* Cundle Flat
* Cundletown
* Curricabark
* Darawank
* Dewitt
* Diamond Beach
* Dingo Forest
* Dollys Flat
* Dumaresq Island
* Dyers Crossing
* Elands
* Elizabeth Beach
* Failford
* Faulkland
* Firefly
* Forbesdale
* Forster
* Gangat
* Ghinni Ghinni
* Giro
* Girvan
* Glen Ward
* Glenthorne
* Gloucester
* Gloucester Tops
* Green Point
* Hallidays Point
* Hannam Vale
* Harrington
* Hawks Nest
* Hillville
* Invergordon
* Johns River
* Jones Island
* Karaak Flat
* Karuah
* Khatambuhl
* Kia Ora
* Killabakh
* Killawarra
* Kimbriki
* Kippaxs
* Kiwarrak
* Knorrit Flat
* Knorrit Forest
* Koorainghat
* Krambach
* Kundibakh
* Kundle Kundle
* Langley Vale
* Lansdowne
* Lansdowne Forest
* Limeburners Creek
* Manning Point
* Mares Run
* Markwell
* Marlee
* Mayers Flat
* Melinga
* Mernot
* Minimbah
* Mitchells Island
* Mograni
* Mondrook
* Monkerai
* Mooral Creek
* Moorland
* Moppy
* Moto
* Mount George
* Mungo Brush
* Myall Lake
* Nabiac
* Nerong
* Nooroo
* North Arm Cove
* Number One
* Old Bar
* Oxley Island
* Pacific Palms
* Pampoolah
* Pindimar
* Possum Brush
* Purfleet
* Rainbow Flat
* Rawdon Vale
* Red Head
* Rookhurst
* Saltwater
* Sandbar
* Seal Rocks
* Shallow Bay
* Smiths Lake
* Stewarts River
* Stratford
* Strathcedar
* Stroud
* Stroud Road
* Tahlee
* Tallwoods Village
* Tarbuck Bay
* Taree
* Taree South
* Tea Gardens
* Terreel
* The Bight
* The Branch
* Tibbuc
* Tinonee
* Tiona
* Tipperary
* Tiri
* Titaatee Creek
* Tomalla
* Topi Topi
* Tugrabakh
* Tuncurry
* Upper Karuah River
* Upper Lansdowne
* Upper Myall
* Violet Hill
* Waitui
* Wallabi Point
* Wallanbah
* Wallingat
* Wallis Lake
* Wang Wauk
* Wards River
* Warranulla
* Washpool
* Waukivory
* Weismantels
* Wherrol Flat
* Whoota
* Willina
* Wingham
* Woko
* Wootton
* Yagon
* Yarratt Forest

## Heritage listings

MidCoast Council area has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* High Conservation Value Old Growth forest

## Demographics

The population for the predecessor councils was estimated in 2015 as:
* 5,160 in Gloucester Shire
* 36,720 in Great Lakes Council and
* 49,095 in City of Greater Taree.

## Council

MidCoast Council is composed of eleven councillors elected proportionally in a single ward. All councillors were elected to a fixed three-year term of office on 14 September 2024. The positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen by councillors.
| Party | Councillors |
| Libertarian | 3 |
| Independents | 3 |
| Alan Tickle Group | 2 |
| Labor | 2 |
| Greens | 1 |
| Total | 11 |
The current Council, elected in 2024, in order of election, is:
| Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Peter Howard | Independent | |
| Jeremey Miller | Independent | |
| Claire Pontin | Labor | |
| Alan Tickle | Independent | Alan Tickle Group |
| Michael Graham | Libertarian | |
| Phillip Beazley | Libertarian | |
| Thomas O'Keefe | Independent | |
| Digby Wilson | Labor | |
| Nicole Turnbull | Independent | Alan Tickle Group |
| Mal McKenzie | Libertarian | |
| Dheera Smith | Greens | |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: MidCoast :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Libertarian | 1. Michael Graham (elected) 2. Philip Beazley (elected) 3. Mal McKenzie (elected) 4. Mitchell Wilson 5. John Gazecki 6. Stuart Cameron | 13,709 | 22.9 |
| | Labor | 1. Claire Pontin (elected) 2. Digby Wilson (elected) 3. Nicolle Green 4. Phillip Costa 5. Michael Burgess 6. Mark Vanstone | 9,573 | 16.0 |
| | Tickle Group | 1. Alan Tickle (elected) 2. Nicole Turnbull (elected) 3. Carley Burke 4. Philip Walkom 5. Michael Kent 6. Kylie Turner | 9,443 | 15.8 |
| | Howard Group | 1. Peter Howard (elected) 2. Fabian Clancy 3. Rebecca Ross 4. Scott Paterson 5. Roderick Donegan 6. Emmerson Hollis | 6,832 | 11.4 |
| | Team Jeremy Miller | 1. Jeremy Miller (elected) 2. Donna Ballard 3. Bronwyn Sharpe 4. Alexander Lewers 5. Tanya Brown 6. Jake Davey | 6,038 | 10.1 |
| | Greens | 1. Dheera Smith (elected) 2. Janeece Irving 3. Michael Townsend 4. Jessica Harris 5. Nathan Wales 6. Megan Cooke | 3,931 | 6.6 |
| | MidCoast Independents | 1. Thomas O'Keefe (elected) 2. Bruce Murray 3. Jeanette Hart 4. Malcolm Motum 5. Terry Munright 6. Heather Vaughan | 3,794 | 6.4 |
| | Independent | 1. Paul Sandilands 2. Mark Stuart Johnson 3. Jessica Corkill 4. Sandra Zielke 5. Gilbert Whyte 6. Scott Grant | 2,750 | 4.6 |
| | Consultation Is Not Consent | 1. Emma Mellows 2. Veronica Frost 3. Jennifer Lennox 4. John Fisher | 1,313 | 2.2 |
| | Independent | Karen Hutchinson | 901 | 1.5 |
| | Independent | Elizabeth McEntyre | 554 | 0.9 |
| | Independent | Stephen Smith | 531 | 0.9 |
| | Independent National | John Sahyoun | 289 | 0.5 |
| | Independent | Richard Streamer | 78 | 0.1 |
| | Independent | Vivien Panhuber | 51 | 0.1 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 59,787 | 90.5 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 6,243 | 9.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 66,030 | 84.3 |